Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-09-16

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| in his pocket Mrs. Madison greeted him
as though nothing had happened. She
chatted with him about his family and
| soon put him so much at ease that he was
able to slyly dislodge the cup, and In
time talked quite freely. Mrs. Meikleham
said she had never heard the story, but
she said that it was just like Mrs Madi-
son, who was always doing some kind
ness, and she told me how a guest having
once broken, by accident, very choice
teacup, Mrs. Madison promptly broke an
other to show him that it was really no
matter and that he need not care
l asked Mrs. Meikleham as to Dolly
Madison's relations with her husband.
She replied: "She was interested in
everything he did and in all his views.
She undoubtedly studied the politics of
the day and knew the situation of affairs
as well as any one. There was perfect
sympathy between President Madison and
his wife. They worked together and
loved each other dearly. Madison was a
very able man, and he was distinguished
looking, though he was not handsome.
He was short, but dignified, and he had
| twinkle of humor in his eyes.
Il think that Madison wore knee
breeches. President Monroe did not, nor
did my grandfather during his latter
days. He chung to the high stockings,
however; and Jefferson had way of hay-
ing rabbits wool woven into his stock
ings, which made them very warm and
soft. AS remember my grandfather, he
was tall, fine looking man, well formed,
and always dressed in gray clothes He
kept up his activity to the last, and he
rode from Monticello to the University of
! Virginia within few weeks before his
death He was erect in his bearing, and
he walked with a cane. think Andrews
portrait of him is very good. The fore
head was very high and broad, and his
face was one of the old colonial type,
which is. think, nobler one than that
of today.
"My grandfather Mrs. Meikleham
went on, kept his faculties to the last;
he was very fond of children and he liked
to play with them. He had certain hours
of the day at which he would come and
romp with us. While he was in his pri-
waite apartments, however, we did not en-
| ter, and we never went into his library
unless mother was with us. We consid-
cred those visits great treat, and Jeffer-
son had some playthings which he kept
for us TO use at such times. We all loved
him dearly, and l can remember how he
sometimes used to take me with him
when he rode to his other estate 1t was
about seventy miles across the country
and we needed four horses to draw the
carriage through the mud. We stopped
at the same hotel at every trip, and spent
two nights on the way. The hotels gen.
orally had things ready for us, ald the
people usually all came out of the hotel
when we left to bid us goodby"
Mrs. Meikleham was at Monticello
when Webster made his visit to jefferson
and she met him again in after life when
she was perhaps thirty years older She
describes this remarkable meeting, which
illustrates Webster's wonderful memory
for faces:
II had just returned from abroad" she
said, land while visiting at Boston, Mrs
Ritchie, the daughter of Mrs. Harrison
Gray Otis, gave party for me. was
sitting on sofa near the door watching
the people as they entered and shook hands
with Mrs. Richie, when Daniel and Mrs
Webster came in. After paying his re.
| spects to Mrs. Richie Webster stood a
moment and looked slowly around the
room, until at last his eyes met mine He
looked at me fixedly for some time and
| then turned to Mrs. Richie and told her
that he had seen my features somewhere
before, and that he thought they must
have been those of a child at the time.
Mrs. Richie told him who l was, and he
came over and told ME he had met me at
Monticello. This was fully thirty years
!
we chatted of my grandfather. Webster
was very fine looking man, and his Dor
traits are very good representations of
him. He was large, dignified and i'm
! presslNe; he was tail and his face was
/ dark; he had very heavy eyebrows and
large piercing black eyes, he was rather
serious as talker, and not so light and
airy as Clay in society"
II see that Gen. Schuyler Hamilton
was one of your strong friends in urging
the passage of your bill during the last
session of congress-"
Yes, it seemed rather strange to have
descendant of Alexander Hamilton aid.
ing descendant Of Thomas jefferson, but
Gen. Hamilton was very kind to me, and
thank him very much for it. / knew
Mrs, Alexander Hamilton quite we'll She
was small and straight, and she had an
air of distinction about her. l lived for a
long time in New York and my residence
was on Broadway, which used to be quite
u fashionable dwelling street. One day
Mrs. Hamilton was about to call to seq
me; was sitting ut my window and saw
her attempt to cross the street. Just at
this moment two omnibuses from opposite
directions came dashing up and down
Broadway. My heart leaped to my mouth,
for l feared they would run over Mrs
Hamilton. She stopped in the center OF
the street, held up her little black bag
warnlngly, and both omnibus drivers
pulled their horses back upon their
launches and waited while she passed
over. Mrs. Hamilton was a very cul
turcd woman, and she was very charm
ing lady"
And so the talk ran on until finally I
asked Mrs Meikleham of Mr.. Jefferson's
death. She remembered it well, and she
told me how she stood by his bedside
while his life passed away. During his
last hours his old hands oft cnressed her
golden hair, and the day before, when he
was fast sinking, he said, II want to live
until the hands reach ] to morrow" 1t
was then the Sd of July. Mournfully
the watchers stood by and the thin thread
of the presidents life hung until ten min
utes past on the 4th Of July, the fiftieth
anniversary Of the day on which he signed
the Declaration Of Independence, when it
broke, and Thomas Jefferson's blood lived
only in his children.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.